Every year, February 20th is observed as the World Day of Social Justice, a day dedicated to confronting social issues and promoting equality and fairness. In this article, we’ll delve into the significance of this day, outline actions you can take to contribute to social justice, and to share how we at CONTRA-TIEMPO are doing our part to advance social justice in L.A. and beyond.
As Carol Hanisch said, “the personal is political” and art is personal. For CONTRA-TIEMPO, our artistic work represents/tells the stories of persons impacted by patriarchy, systemic racism, and white supremacy. When personal stories are shared socially through dance, music, theater, visual art, poetry we are exercising our personal and social power as a connected community.
Today’s hustle culture glamorizes the grind, pushing people to work harder, go faster, and accomplish more. When we look at the high level of burnout in the nonprofit labor sectors maybe we ought to look at the obvious, like what we call it. We name it non profit, without profit, which often means living at or below the poverty line but somehow proud that you’re passionate about the work you do for no pay. Passion does not pay rent bills or pay for health insurance - and humans are not machines. When pushed to unsustainable levels of improperly resourced work, we can face burnout and its wearying consequences on our lifestyle and health.
The following reflections emerge from the multilayered and deeply relational experience of being part of Ana Maria Alvarez’s class Performance Lab: Ancestral Technologies on the Border at UC San Diego. You can can also join the movement by reflecting in the concept of In LaK’ech, and create a love letter to our world.
We join in celebrating the birth of this revolutionary movement in music and honor the artists who contributed to the culture, technologies, and industry of hip hop. The triumphs of hip hop culture and artists are wide spread across the world and their excellence influences every aspect of popular culture. They are powerful voices in social politics highlighting the pleasures and rage of being Black or Brown in America.
Sometimes in social justice work we like to think that the struggle is an Us vs Them and that each cause exists and works separately. However, crises affect different people in different ways, and recognizing those differences is necessary for building empathy and tackling injustice and inequality effectively. Intersectionality theory allows us to analyze co-occurring and mutually reinforcing forms of inequality.
Inside of Latinidad, anti-blackness, anti-indigenous and patriarchy runs rampant. Celebrating Black History and other heritage months help to combat white supremacy by intentionally acknowledging and honoring the different types of people who contribute to society. It’s not about any one person or group of people being excluded but about showing appreciation and solidarity for the many members of our community that make it great.
CONTRA-TIEMPO is a 501(C)3 non-profit arts organization. Your donations are tax-deductible. (TAX ID#20-5477825)
